Do You Treat Tops/sweaters With A Logo As Prints

How much will a 60% cotton and 40% polyester sweater shrink when washed and dried?

Q: “How much will a 60% cotton and 40% polyester sweater shrink when washed and dried?”Textiles may shrink in two ways when washed. They shrink as a result of the reaction of textile materials (cotton, wool, etc.) with water either due to shrinkage of the fibers and yarns, or from swelling of the fibers and yarns causing shrinkage of the entire fabric. In both ways, the fabric becomes shorter and shrinks.A good example is natural and untreated woolen fabrics. Wool, as a natural fiber is made of amino acids and proteins, strong reaction with water causes shrinkage in both of the said ways. But, nowadays, the fibers with strong interactions with water, like wool and cotton, are chemically treated and finished to prevent any shrinkage from washing-drying cycles during the service life.That fabric in the question, a blend of cotton/polyester 60%/40%, is very likely reveals no significant shrinkage. Polyester almost has no significant shrinkage in water at moderate temperatures and the cotton component of the fabric has been (very likely) chemically treated with shrinkproof finishes.Thus, the answer is: the sweater does not significantly shrink when washed and dried.

Why do most rich people wear simple clothes, and why do people who are not very rich tend to dress more exoticly?

I had a professor once who did a lot of research on this. All people attempt to impress their neighbors to some extant. There finances depend on what they can do and how they will do it. This is oversimplification, but his research basically showed the following.Poor people impress by what they wear— clothes, bling, etc. That is because they cannot afford to display in any other way.Middle class people impress by what they drive— A trendy car, or maybe a boat or a bunch of motorized “toys” like four wheelers. They can afford the “bling” but don’t want to look poor. However, they can’t afford to radically change their lifestyle to show off.Upper Middle Class and Wealthy people impress by either where they live or where they go— Some live in nice show houses in trendy neighborhoods. Some are the “millionaire next door” types that live in a regular house, but take a trip to Europe or the Amazon each year. Having an expensive car won’t impress any of their neighbors but they can’t afford to have a college named after them.Very wealthy people try to impress by what they do. The wealthiest like to have buildings named after them, like Carnegie Hall or the Geffen School of Medicine. Think about it. What could Bill Gates or Warren Buffet wear or dive that would make anyone more impressed. Help develop internet access for all the libraries in the US (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) or buy ABC Television and General Motors (Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway) and you have something.There are some theorists that say this effect actually works in the other direction. Poor people stay poor because they spend money on “bling” instead of saving for a decent vehicle. The trendy vehicles the middle class drive are usually too expensive, lose value and are bought with interest payments. This actually stops the middle class from becoming wealthy. The Upper Middle Class and Wealthy people end up spending too much in upkeep and property taxes on their homes. These people would say that the very wealthy became that way because they wae not concerned about how other people see their clothes, vehicle and home and concentrate on doing important things.Something interesting to think about.

Can we paint using acrylic colors on fabrics?

Yes you can most surely paint on fabric with acrylic paint . The longevity of the paint staying on the fabric depends on the way one washes the finished product and the way the paint has been applied over the fabric. The paint has to be viscous enough so that it binds or "holds on" to the weave of the fabric it's applied to. You can control the viscosity of the paint using a "Medium" for that paint. A medium is  a paint thinner basically. You can ask your local arts and crafts supplies dealer to advise you on the right medium for those paintsThe consistancy of the paint should not be too thick such that it does not bind with the interwoven threads of the fabric and forms a mere cake like layer of paint that can easily come flaking of later nor should it be too thin or watery such that it soaks in and blots into the fabric like ink, spreading beyond the required area of application. Secondly and equally importantly after finishing painting the fabric it is important to dry the finished product for a minimum of 24 hours and then IRONING or PRESSING the back side of the painted fabric. For example for a finshed handkerchief turn it over so the back of painted side is facing upwards. This proceduere will "weld" the paint into the fabric and ensure that it does not come flaking off.Washing should be a mild machine wash as scrubbing and washing it in a rough manner with your hands can reduce the longevity of the paint on the fabricAll that being said I should also warn you that just like everything else fades and undergoes wear and tear through time and constant use, the paint also has a tendency to fade or erode over time through constant washing and use.

T-Shirts: How do I retain the graphics on my tees?

This mostly depends on type of ink/dye used and its quality.Not much you can do about it, just wash inside out in cold water, iron inside out and prevent rubbing between print and any surfaces to prolong its life. My Affliction shirts look like new after 50 washes.Note that usually we have a print on a solid colored tee and after numerous washes background color stays almost the same, while print fades. This is because solid color is usually made with dyes that are chemically fixed to with the fabric (and become sort of part of the fabric and cannot be removed by mechanical operations like washing), while prints are usually made with mechanically fixed ones (which can be removed by mechanical operations).There are a few companies that print with chemically fixed dyes and these don’t fade out even if washed at 90C/194F temperature, 1200 rpm spin, etc. But they are extremely rare because printing process is far more difficult. No way to find the type of used dye on sight exists.